


The Wild Ones

by albinosilver



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: AU, M/M, actual wolves, ranger mccree, wolfman hanzo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-18
Packaged: 2018-07-29 12:53:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7685392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/albinosilver/pseuds/albinosilver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alternate universe where Jesse is a park ranger and Hanzo lives with a wolf pack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The eerie cry of a loon echoed across the still lake surface. Its silhouette drifted briefly through the water before disappearing into the depths. Swarms of black flies gathered above in twisting clouds. The drone of their wing beats was a constant reminder of summer. 

Jesse tied his horse to a post by the waterfront. Waves lapped hungrily at the rocky shore by their feet. The roan mare whinnied in protest as flies bombarded her hide. He swatted at a few, but they persisted. 

"Sorry girl, we're on watch tonight." He said softly, soothingly.

The air was hot, humid, though rapidly cooling as the last sliver of sun fell past the horizon. Jesse wiped sweat from his brow, his skin sticky from the perspiration. He brought a newly lit cigar to his lips, chewing at it thoughtfully, savouring the sweet tobacco. 

Outdoorists frequented these woods and the trails were bustling with energy during the day, bikes sped down the root ridden paths, families gathered by the lake to swim, fish, skip stones. Everyone was settling now, into tents, trailers, cabins. Everyone except the park rangers on duty. Jesse McCree was the most well known of the bunch, notorious for dressing the part; a golden pin glistened at his chest. His arsenal consisted of his trusty six shooter and emergency flares, more than suitable for dealing with pesky wildlife. 

The foxes were easy, often scared off just from the sound of him riding by. Raccoons were a tougher, less sensitive to human activity. On occasion, a coyote would stand its ground against him. Even then, they were no match. Nothing stopped Jesse from keeping his park safe and there was always a bullet waiting for any repeat offenders. 

Campers would often ask him about wolves. _The wolves stay in the mountains_ , he assured them. 

Recently, the rangers had been issued with sleep darts. They were told to tranquillize any troublesome animals first and bring them further into the woods to deal with. Understandably, no one would want to wake up to gunshots at their campsite. Apparently, the sweet, old lady who worked in the park's reception had fabricated them herself. Jesse was impressed but he would still rather not use the thing; he much preferred his revolver.

"Assistance required at site 47." The familiar buzz of his radio shook him from his thoughts. 

"10-4." He replied after a slight pause and pocketed the device. 

Jesse saddled up his horse. The belts and buckles fell into place easily in his hands. 

"Looks like we're needed." He gave her a pat on the flank, receiving a nuzzle in return. The two had been partners on the job for a long time now and were inseparable.

He threw a leg over the saddle and pulled himself up. The mare started in a steady trot down the path, the beacon on her harness lighting the way.

\---

It was too big to be a coyote, too small for an adult wolf, though it shared the same stockier features. _A young wolf_ , Jesse quickly concluded. Its black fur had the soft, fluffy look of youth, and it hadn't quite grown into its oversized paws and ears. It was frozen in place, wide eyed, caught out in the harsh beam of light. A slice of pizza dangled in its jaws. 

Even a wolf of this size could cause big trouble, especially if word of it got out. Jesse gripped at his revolver, but then, remembering, opted for the tranquillizer rifle slung across his back instead. It certainly wasn't a weapon he was used to, but he was a good shot nonetheless. The wolf yelped as the dart struck it in the side, skittering a few feet in the dirt before collapsing in a heap. Jesse tossed the rifle strap back over his shoulder and hopped down to gather the unconscious beast.

An ear-splitting crack of splintering wood stopped him in his tracks. His horse jolted back in surprise and he almost toppled over from the tug on the reins. _Another wolf?_ He looked around. _No. A man._ Adorned in thick furs and face paint, his features were barely visible. What was obvious though, was he had a bow in his hands with an arrow drawn, pointing right at the ranger. 

Jesse risked a glance to his side, the source of the sound. An arrow had embedded itself in the bark of the tree next to him. It was head level, dead center, far too accurate to be a misfire. _It was a warning._ He gulped.

"Do not move." Came the voice.

Jesse had no choice. It was too late to draw his gun now. He raised his hands slightly to show that he was of no harm. 

The mystery archer approached, not once lowering his weapon. Jesse could see the man clearly now. A grey wolf pelt sat atop his head, draping down to his shoulders. His eyes were shadowed but stern, unmoving. He remained so calm and collected in both posture and emotion, even more threatening, in Jesse’s opinion. Red stripes were painted at his cheeks and continued down his arm in intricate patterns. His beard was surprisingly well groomed compared to the rest of his wild look. _Some crazy hunter, perhaps?_

“Look, if it’s the wolf you want, you can have him.” Jesse offered, gesturing towards the animal. The archer was close now, close enough to be fumbling at Jesse's belt. The buckle fell open with a click and he tossed it and everything attached into a nearby bush, essentially unarming the ranger. 

“Hey!” Jesse complained. The remark earned him a smack to the face with the bow. 

“Do not move.” 

Jesse groaned. He felt naked and vulnerable without the comforting weight of his belt; _how dare this man give peacekeeper such rough treatment._ He secretly wished his horse would do something to help him, but she simply stood and watched. _Probably making fun of me_ , he imagined. 

Seeing that Jesse was no longer a threat, the archer put away his bow. He took up the fallen wolf in his arms, easily lifting the large animal, and swiftly vanished into the thicket.

 _Well then._ Jesse went to fetch his missing items. _At least that solves the wolf problem._

\---

The fire burned low, smoking furiously as it consumed dry pine needles for fuel. The fumes irritated his nostrils, but the smell was almost pleasant. Hanzo sat with his legs folded neatly beneath him. He probed at a slab of elk meat cooking on the fire with a spare stick. Not far off, wolves squabbled over the remaining elk carcass. He overheard their snarls and snaps even over the crackling flames. 

It was only a calf, not nearly enough to feed the entire pack. The alpha pair got first dibs on the prey, but Hanzo was not far off in rank. He contributed to the majority of hunts, and was always allowed to take his share without question. The remaining members fought fiercely over scraps. 

The youngest of the bunch, a scruffy black wolf, got the worst of it. Hanzo often witnessed the poor pup tossed to the dirt with four others bearing down on him, ignoring his whines of surrender. Tonight, he hadn't even bothered and was resting by the fire at Hanzo's side, his head on the man's lap. Hanzo stroked his fur gently. He felt rather sorry for his wolf brother, but he could not interfere with the natural order of things.

There was a growl and Hanzo felt the body beneath him tense. The alpha female had joined them and the younger wolf hurried to his feet, scurrying off, not wanting to be in her presence. Hanzo dipped his head out of respect. She was a strikingly beautiful wolf with a sleek, silvery pelt; a strong, powerful leader. _But she was young too once._

_Hanzo could see the massacre even from a distance. It was an aerial raid; they did not stand a chance. Frozen bodies were scattered across the cold ground, littered with bullet holes. He despised it; killing without a cause. Whoever did this did not do it for the wolves' meat or fur. The bodies were simply left to rot. Hanzo scanned through the snow, stained red with blood. That's when he saw her, the sole survivor; small, weak, barely hanging onto life._

She was here now, nudging him against the shoulder with her snout. It was clear she wanted something from him, likely urging him to go out on another hunt. The pack needed more food to sustain its growth. 

"I will try my best." He promised. 

\---

Prey was expected to be plentiful in the summer season, but it certainly wasn't. Logging had taken over the mountains that spring. The loud, disruptive machinery drove away entire herds of deer. Hanzo surveyed the devastated land. The earth was upturned in vehicle tracks and stacks of cut trunks lay where a forest once was. It stretched out for miles ahead, spanning over at least half of their territory. Hanzo had considered the possibility of expanding their land, but the other mountains belonged to other wolves. _They might not be able to avoid bloodshed for much longer._

Suddenly, a flash of movement as something ran by. Hanzo immediately recognized the culprit. _Where is this idiot going now?_ He followed closely as the black wolf descended the mountain.


	2. Chapter 2

_He probably didn't even have his hunting permit. Those arrows didn't look like an approved model._ Jesse thought bitterly, puffing at what was likely his fifth cigar of the night. _I'll write him up a ticket next time for sure._

The rest of his shift had been quiet, no more wolves or crazy hunters, just all the time in the world to think about them. Jesse had to admit, he was upset; to get that kind of treatment, in _his_ woods. 

Songbirds were chattering all around. Goldfinches plucked at fat thistle pods and chickadees flitted noisily in the pines. It was a sure sign that morning had arrived, even though the sun had not yet made its appearance. It was usually then Jesse would make his way back to his cabin and fall into a deep slumber until his next shift, but today was different. He was wide awake, unable to shake the feeling of anger, curiosity? regarding the previous encounter.

Jesse looked to where the trees began climbing the slopes, their peaks shrouded in heavy mist. His turf lay at the heart of it all, a valley that was enclosed by the mountains from all sides. The park itself contained near 3,000 square miles of land, most of which stretched far beyond his patch of campsites. _Good luck trying to find a man who didn't want to be found out here._

A steady flow of vehicles was making its way down the dirt road, new campers checking in for the day. People were always on the move, in and out of the park. No one stayed for long. From an open window, a child waved at the park ranger excitedly. Jesse flashed him a signature finger point and cracked a half hearted smile. Then it dawned on him. Anyone visiting the park would have to check in through reception first. Amari would surely have records of his hunter. He leapt at the revelation, clutching at his hat as he took to horseback towards the reception booth.

"Last run of the night, promise." He whispered as he urged the mare into a gallop.

\---

"Night shift treat you alright?" Amari finished writing off a passing trailer just as Jesse pulled up at the window of her booth.

"Yes ma'am, always a pleasure working with you." Jesse straightened up on the saddle, trying to look more presentable. "...just one little problem. Thought maybe you could help."

"What's wrong? Squirrels giving you trouble?" She teased

"Nothing like that. Just wonderin' if I could maybe... take a look at your records?" Jesse stroked idly at his beard, realizing that he'd definitely have to explain himself now. "I mean, I saw a real suspicious character out last night, thought maybe it'd be best to see if he's registered, yeah?" 

Amari stared back at him with an amused smile and a raised eyebrow. "You got it, big boy." She spread out a massive folder on the counter, each file carefully labelled by date and time. "All records for the past week right here. No one gets by undocumented."

"Thank you kindly." Jesse dipped politely.

He skimmed through the folder, file after file. Most people came to the park in groups it seemed; friends, families with children, younger couples. Nothing struck him as particularly out of the ordinary. 

"Anyone come here for hunting lately?" He flipped through a few more pages with similar results.

"It's not in season right now." 

"You got any earlier records then?" Jesse hung onto the last bit of hope as he neared the end of the documents.

"Park was closed for maintenance a week ago. All previous guests checked out." Amari took back her folder as Jesse finished, tapping it a few times on the counter to realign the pages. 

Jesse knew his time was running out. Amari only had so much patience for him. He scanned the booth as if a clue would suddenly pop out. Amari's work space was neat and orderly; pictures of her daughter were propped up on the desk and hanging on the wall. A stand of vials filled with strange chemicals was also present. The very back of the room was littered with newspaper clippings pinned to a bulletin board. Jesse caught sight of bold "Missing" headlines.

"Wealthy Trophy Hunter Found Dead." Jesse read aloud.

"Crazy old man, used to come all the time with his son. Shot dead every beast he saw just so he could pose with it for a picture. He had it coming, got mauled pretty bad I heard. No idea what happened to the kid though, he's still marked missing but likely met the same fate as his father." Amari unpinned the article, letting it fall to the trash bin below. "It's old news; wouldn't worry about it." 

"How old?" Jesse would most certainly worry about it.

"At least 10 years now." 

\---

_Shoot it. Shoot the dumb animal. A rifle was shoved into the boy's arms; years of training, but it was his first real hunt. The wolf was mortally wounded, a bullet to the side; eyes dull, still, in the dirt, about ready to join the many others his father had mounted on the wall. He wanted to cry, he wanted to run. He dropped the rifle, awaited punishment for disobeying orders. It never came. A gunshot rang through the air, then several more. The boy disappeared into the woods, never looking back. His father did not make it off the mountain that night. In a way, neither did he. It became his new home._

Hanzo scolded his wolf brother, a hand tightly gripping his scruff. "Maybe you would have something to eat if you were not so useless." Hanzo had spent the rest of the night on the lookout for prey, but to no avail.

The black wolf whined, tongue drooping out in defeat. The sedative had mostly worn off, but he was still in a daze.

Hanzo had taken the young wolf on many hunting trips in the past, but he never learned, always preferring to mooch off others. At a time like this, every pack member really needed to work for their keep.

It was early morning, but the rumble of machinery had already began. The whirring as saws fell tree after tree was the reason he hadn't seen any deer in weeks. The herds didn't have set territories and moved as they pleased through the mountains; away from this destruction. If only it were that easy for his pack. 

The den was marked by a particularly large boulder jutting from the ground. Tall pines grew in a lopsided circle around it. There was a frenzy of excitement as they arrived. The family was gorging on a fresh kill in the clearing. The carcass looked to be quite large and aside from the occasional squabble, there was an absence of fighting. It was enough for everyone. The black wolf squirmed from Hanzo's arms, eager to not miss out on his share.

 _Were there still herds of elk around that he was just missing?_ Hanzo had to squeeze into the crowd of wolves to see it. His heart sank. As if his brother's antics last night weren't enough to stir up trouble with the humans. 

It was a horse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slow build up, they'll meet again in the next chapter ^^


End file.
